Semester 1 Newsletter 2023

APGS SEMESTER 1 2023 NEWSLETTER

PERFORMING ARTS

Our Semester 1 Performing Arts (PA) program culminated in 3 showcases, and 5 performances throughout June. Students from their PA classes and those selected from auditions shone on stage in the Dance and Musical Theatre, Drama, and Music Showcases.

‘PRIME TIME LIVE’ DANCE & MUSICAL THEATRE SHOWCASE

Our Dance and Musical Theatre showcase, Prime Time Live, invited the audience to take a break from the couch and streaming channels to be immersed in live channel surfing through numbers representing the best of prime time entertainment.

Directed by Melissa Ayers, the stage ‘screen’ featured performances reenacting, interpreting and reimagining some of our favourite tv shows, movies, award shows and music videos.

Both the matinee and evening performances saw our students ‘wow’ and delight the packed Tom Mann Theatre. We thank our Industry tutors for sharing their creativity and expertise in guiding and mentoring our students to perform with such professionalism and star-quality.

DRAMA SHOWCASE

Our Senior Drama Company showcased Our Town by Thornton Wilder, with a cameo of short pieces performed by a selection of Year 7, 8 and 11 Drama students.

Directed by actor & writer Jake Fryer-Hornsby, with the support of actress and theatremaker Harriet Gordon-Anderson, Our Town is a three-act play created by American playwright Thornton Wilder in 1938. It presents the fictional American town of Grover’s corners between 1901 and 1913 through the everyday lives of its citizens where a series of pivotal moments throughout the characters’ lives reveal their relationships and challenges. This play recognises all of the seemingly mundane parts of life that feel insignificant until you leave your small town, or your home. This is a play that is about a very specific hometown where everyone feels at home, no matter where that is. It’s a lesson for us all, that we must embrace and appreciate the value of life itself.

The calibre of the students’ performances was exceptional and, as one audience member commented “the play could have been performed at the Griffin Theatre to sell-out crowds” – such was the professionalism and stellar performances of the cast. The lighting and sound were coordinated and operated by our student stage production crew, who equally shone on the night.

MUSIC SHOWCASE

Our Music Showcase, which was a sold out performance at the Tom Mann Theatre, featured 29 musical items performed by our talented and accomplished musicians and vocalists from Years 7 to 12.

The audience was transported through a range of musical genres, from soul and funky blues to a spectrum of rock and pop. All our performing arts program classes were on stage, together with soloists, small and large ensembles, and students who were selected through our audition process.

Directed by Lisa Gardner, the Music Showcase was a celebration and reflection of not only our students’ hard work and dedication to the craft, but also a testament of the APGS Performing Arts program and our outstanding Industry tutors. It reflects the wonderful collaborative efforts between tutor and students, and also students and students. Musical performance is so much more than technical skills. It provides an opportunity for building skills in collaboration, building confidence, as well as growth in personal expression. It has been such a joy to see the students work on their performances and we were proud of every student on stage, for their contributions to the musical life at APGS.

Ella Fraser

Dux of Year 12 (2021)

1. What did you study in Year 12? What were your most memorable experiences?

The courses I chose for my HSC subjects were English Advanced, English Extension 1&2, PDHPE, Drama and Design and Technology. My most memorable experience was definitely English Extension, as it allowed me to not only analyse and understand literature but being able to appreciate and enjoy it. I also enjoyed creating my major work for this subject, which was a short film. Creating it allowed for an exploration of creativity, one with no restraints where I was able to create work that meant something to me.

2. What are you currently studying?

I am currently at UTS studying a Bachelor of Communications majoring in Media Arts and Production. The driving factor behind choosing this degree was actually the short film I created for English Extension. I had so much fun creating it and felt so excited throughout the process. I have always been interested in television and film but the process of creating my short film helped clarify what career path I wanted to choose.

3. Do you have any future plans? How will this degree contribute to your future aspirations?

My future plans involve any career in the industry, mainly focusing on directing, writing or set design. My current major in my degree focuses on learning about all aspects and jobs involved with filmmaking.Teaching filmmaking with a holistic approach helps me gain a better understanding of what career I want and how the industry works. I have gained so much insight and knowledge about the industry through this degree.

4. Do you have any advice for the current senior students on how to navigate Year 12 and beyond?

I think the biggest factor of stress amongst year 12 students is often lack of time, so I would advise any year 12 students to have a study plan and follow it so they don’t fall behind. I don’t think year 12 has to be a very stressful time, I think it should be a time for students to enjoy their final year. The best way to do this is to plan ahead and not leave everything to the last minute, allowing for a balance of studying and relaxing. I think balance is important so you remember to not burn yourself out. I think it’s also important to enjoy the subject you are taking and engage with them beyond the marking criteria, it will be far more motivating if you connect with what you’re learning about. After year 12 can be a difficult time period navigating life outside of highschool but it is also a great time to learn about yourself and your future, it is something to look forward to and not fear.

Izel Searle Garduno

Dux of Year 12 (2022)

Izel was nominated and selected for ARTEXPRESS as part of the 2023 HSC Showcase season. Her stop motion movie titled MOTHER was displayed at the Western Plains Cultural Centre (WPCC) and the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre

Lucy Reid (2022)

Lucy Reid was nominated and selected for ARTEXPRESS for her drawing series titled 'Sinister' for the Virtual Exhibition VX, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Glasshouse Regional Gallery.

DRAMA @ REBEL THEATRE EXCURSION

Year 9 and Year 10 drama students attended a remarkable performance of ‘The Resistance’ at the Rebel Theatre, home of ATYP. This interactive piece of theatre asked the audience members to use their phones, shout ideas, and even participate in the play. We had the best time and afterwards left feeling inspired to get more involved in our communities and issues important for the protection of our environment.

HSC DRAMA EXCURSION TO ONSTAGE

Year 11 and Year 12 Drama students attended the OnStage performances and presentations at the Seymour Centre. This NESA selected program features exemplary group and individual performances, script writing and video drama by 2022 HSC Drama students. The performances inspired Year 12 to further develop their own Individual Projects.

YEAR 12 HSC DRAMA EXCURSION HOW TO DEVISE THEATRE

Year 12 Drama students were privileged to be involved in a workshop in collaboration with The Little Eggs theatre company at the Seymour Centre. This devising theatre workshop focused on how ideas can be ignited and developed into theatre. Year 12 created tableaux to reflect their themes before expanding into the moving scenes. The practical, interactive, collaborative nature of this workshop was both engaging and inspiring for our Year 12 as they were beginning to create their own devised HSC Group Performances (GPs)

- Emily Turpin

Shakespeare Carnival2023

AREASOFCOMPETITIONINCLUDE: DUOLOGUES,ENSEMBLEPIECES(SCRIPTEDAND DEVISED),DANCE,MUSICCOMPOSITIONANDSMART

YEAR 12 DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Year 12 Design and Technology students attended Shape 2022 at the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo.

NSW SHAKESPEARE CARNIVAL

The Sport for Jove Shakespeare Carnival is a NSW State-wide competition where students create their own self-devised theatrical worlds through acting, dance and movement pieces inspired by and celebrating the work of William Shakespeare.

Following our own APGS Shakespeare competition, three groups entered the State regional competitions which saw our Dance and Physical Theatre performances reach the NSW Finals, held at the Seymour Centre.

Congratulations to our Dance group who came 2nd for their Hamlet performance, our 3rd-placed Physical Theatre group and the Year 12 student Isaia Ta’ale who was selected for the 2023 Overall Movement Award.

Dance: ‘Hamlet’: Isaia Ta’ale, Taneisha King, June Reeve Physical Theatre: ‘Macbeth’: Katarina Nad, Elie Slowgrove, Ebony Dodds, Marcus Tzikas, Felix Fox, Oli Kumar, Elliot Domoney, Isaia Ta’ale, June Reeve, Jack Walker, Maurizio Lopane, Matthew Heale.

CLASS CLOWNS

Class Clowns is a national secondary school comedy competition which encourages teenagers with a talent for comedy to unleash their comic voice through stand-up, sketch, musical or physical comedy. Angel Fisher and Valentina Flores represented APGS where they rehearsed, polished and refined their acts with a professional comedian prior to performing to a live audience.

Shape 2022 presents exemplary projects from the 2022 High School Certificate Design and Technology, Industrial Technology and Textiles and Design courses, showcasing ingenious solutions developed by young, futureoriented design thinkers.

We had the pleasure of participating in a NESA Seminar by Stella Otoole, who shared her wealth of expertise and advice on the Year 12 D&T syllabus. The students engaged in a Q&A session with Stella at the completion of the seminar and were provided with feedback on their individual projects.

HSC MUSIC MASTER CLASS

BY JULIAN KUO

HSC music vocalists participated in a fabulously productive masterclass and workshop with Julian Juo - a current cast member of “Hamilton” the musical, and former tutor at APGS. Students performed some of their HSC songs as work in progress, were given some wonderful strategies and tools to improve the expression and effectiveness of their performances.

EPSON SMART BOARDS

We would like to thank our Parent Liaison Committee and our APGS community for raising funds throughout 2022 to contribute to the upgrade of our learning spaces.

YEAR 10 SCIENCE EXCURSION

Year 10 Science students were fortunate to have our learning about DNA, genetics, natural selection and evolution expanded by spending a day at the Australian Museum. This excursion, with our Science teacher Mr Mankarious, provided a deeper understanding of the topic through both hands-on and visual examinations of the scientific evidence of evolution. In groups we were tasked with exploring discovering and investigating to analyse and evaluate a series of questions and observations.

We thank Mr Mankarious for giving us an insightful and experiential learning experience.

- Nicole Ksenia (Year 10)

HSC MUSIC EXCURSION

Year 11 and Year 12 music classes attended the ENCORE concert at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall in term 1. This was a fabulous opportunity to see the very best HSC performances from a wide range of musical styles from around NSW. The concert featured music from classical to pop, ensembles and soloists. It allows students to see a range of styles and to see the type of performance that is likely to get full marks in the HSC.

We were thrilled to see that the program for the evening featured one of our own APGS singers from the previous year, Carys Hakin, who had been selected to perform in ENCORE. She sang “When Sunny Gets Blue” a jazz torch song, and was accompanied by Lindsay Partridge who accompanies many of our HSC students.

APGS music students consistently receive nominations for ENCORE and it is extremely special to be chosen for the Opera House Concert.

- Lisa Gardner

VISUAL ARTS

‘Beastly Beasts’ is a multidiscipline unit aimed at developing a range of skills for Year 8 students. Inspired by Brett Whitley’s London Zoo animal drawings, the students focused on creating a sculpture with a sense of movement, freestanding and structurally sound. The results were outstanding, with the students demonstrating great problem solving skills.

The Vanitas tradition is an art movement that originated in the Netherlands in the 16th and 17th centuries, and was particularly popular in the Baroque period. The word “vanitas” comes from the Latin word meaning “vanity” or “emptiness”, and the tradition was focused on the transience and impermanence of life.Originating in the Netherlands in the late 16th century ‘Vanitas’ art is a form of art critical of the vanities expresses throughout Renaissance in the still life tradition. Vanitas art features objects that symbolized the fleeting nature of human existence, such as skulls, hourglasses, books, and flowers. These objects were often arranged in a symbolic composition that represented the inevitability of death and the ephemeral nature of material possessions.

Year 11 created an oil ‘Vanitas’ painting, based on observation of one set in class and were tasked to create their own contemporary photographic ‘Vanitas’ tackling issues of modern life and values.

HSC ARTEXPRESS EXCURSION

Year 11 and 12 Visual Art students attended ArtExpress at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. ArtExpress is an annual exhibition of outstanding student Bodies of Work from the HSC. Exploring ArtExpress provided senior students with a greater understanding of the diverse and original artists’ visions, and the creativity and originality in curating an entire Body of Work.

- Daniel Fisher

YEAR 7

Year 7 deserve special congratulations on completing their first semester of high school. They have successfully adjusted to the transition from primary school and have embraced the greater independence, heightened responsibilities and more challenging academic requirements. From the first day of term this cohort were enthusiastic, engaged and eager to be involved in many aspects of school life - from the performing arts to the swimming carnival to the Shakespeare competition, the Real Housewives of Disney production, showcases and the various mufti fund-raising days.

Since their Orientations in December and January, Year 7 have navigated the usual social adjustments and all the academic assessments, ending the term with resilience, connectedness and undoubted energy.

YEAR GROUP ASSEMBLIES

As part of our well being program, every cohort is required to design, organise and host a school assembly. This opportunity occurs twice a year. During our daily homeroom sessions, year groups collaborate and brainstorm ideas on how to promote unity, respect and creativity.

We appreciate our assembly time, as it is a wonderful reminder of why we enjoy being an integral member of the APGS community. Our students are colourful, caring and compassionate, and we would not change a thing.

CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM

This semester we were privileged to have some highly experienced tutors join our Creative and Performing Arts Faculty.

Students commenced the 2023 program by selecting two core electives within their major stream; Dance, Music, Visual Arts/Design and Drama. Students are then given the opportunity to nominate two electives in any other stream of their choice. This enables our students to develop into well rounded creatives who can nurture and aquire a wide range of skills to enrich their self discovery.

MUSIC

Anton Koch: Music Theory/Arranging

James Pierre-Read: Digital Music Composition, Theory/ Arranging

Paula Baxter/James Pierre-Read:/Kirsten Allison: Junior And Intermediate Music Ensembles (Vocal/Instrumental)

Paula Baxter/Kirsten Allison: Solo/Duo Vocal Skills And Performance

James Pierre-Read:: Instrumental Ensemble

Victor Rounds/Paula Baxter: Senior Music Company (Vocal/Instrumental)

Paula Baxter/Kirsten Alison: Song Writing Performance

Paul Brown: Guitar Ensemble

DRAMA

Kian Pitman/Tahlia Merlino: Junior Drama Company, Theatre Sports, Scripts and Scenes

Zachary Aleksander: Improvisation Comedy, Screen

Acting and Auditioning

Harriet Gordon-Anderson/Jake Fryer-Hornsby: Senior Drama Company

DANCE

Talia Fowler: Contemporary Ballet

Cassidy Nancarrow: Jazz

Andii Huynh: Contemporary

Brodie Shepherd: Strength and Conditioning

Bella Choundary, Robert Mejica : Hip Hop

Tiana Jae: Musical Theatre Company

Maya Gavish/Jess Rigby: Self-Devised Dance and Choreography

Jess Girvan: Latin Dance

VISUAL ARTS

Victoria Valencia-Esguerra: Photography, Digital Art and Design, Digital Illustration

Dan Fischer: Body of Work

2023 SCHOOL PHOTO DAY

It has become an APGS tradition to take candid photos on our official school photo day. Whilst our students line up patiently for their school photos, we capture some heart warming moments of our school community. You can see our true colours shining through.

2023 APGS SWIMMING CARNIVAL

The APGS school spirit was amplified at our annual swimming carnival, held on a warm summer day in February at Victoria Park Pool. Mr Mankarious’ starting ‘gun’ signalled the start of over 80 races, from the freestyle age races, breastroke, backstroke, butterfly races to the novelty races and the elite Champions Race where APGS’s fastest swimmers competed for the prestigious title.

It was a day which showcased sporting talent, record breaking swims, personal bests, participation and House spirit. The energy and sense of connectedness shone, not just through the swimmers’ determination but in the students who volunteered as runners, timekeepers and all-round assistants to the staff.

The House Captains led and supported their houses, through the house chant competition ‘performance’ to enthusiastically cheering their swimmers.

Congratulations to winning house Cheetham, and to:

Senior Swimming Champions: Ned Pavlovic. (Y11)

Talia Rabin (Y12)

Junior Swimming Campions: Annika Huisman (Y8)

Talyn Pale-Eli (Y8)

Junior Swimming Champion, Annika Huisman, challenged Mr Fischer to a 50 metre race, which he accepted. Annika generously offered a 3 second handicap which led to a tightly fought out race, however she touched the wall half an arm length ahead - to rapturous applause.

2023 STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

Our 2023 Student Representative Council were inducted following their application submission and addressing their peers before being voted in by their year group.

These students were elected to formally represent the student body at fortnightly SRC meetings with the School Captains to discuss student-related initiatives, organise student-run events and enhance student participation in school life.

Congratulations to our 2023 SRC:

Year 7

Elliot Domoney

Oli Kumar

Zhra Tautai

Year 8

Talyn Pale-Eli

Zara Frousalias

Year 9

Kai Williams

Jaiya Russell

Year 10

Maurizio Lopane

Ksenia Tupikova

Year 11

Elise Slowgrove

TERM 2 HOUSE DAY

Our APGS House Leaders organised an action packed house day, which included six short activity stations sprinkled throughout the school. After the completion of the day, our final house points were collated. Congratulations to the winning house Cheetham.

AWARDS ASSEMBLY

On the final day of Term 2, students of Years 7 to 11 were recognised and awarded for their academic effort, improvement and achievement across all subject areas. Only one student from a cohort was nominated for each award category. Well done to all our students who have worked tirelessly this semester, juggling assessments and showcases, whilst managing a string of co-curricular commitements.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF DISNEY

Written and Directed by Isaia Ta’ale (Year 12 Student)

The Real Housewives of Disney first began its journey in 2020, in a student’s bedroom during Covid-19, whilst they were still adjusting to living remotely. Isaia originally conducted research while looking for inspiration for the APGS drama showcase and came across a Saturday Night Live skit, also titled “The Real Housewives of Disney”. He began by making edits to the original script, while continuing to research new elements to draw inspiration for his re-invention.

After compiling his extensive research, Isaia expanded, what was meant to be a small skit, into a two-act play. What started as the vision of one student, quickly became a collaboration, where students across all the year groups came together to fill the variety of roles needed for such a performance. Set, props, costume, make-up, lighting, sound and back-stage crew were all sourced, designed and operated by students.

On Wednesday 22 March, APGS was proud to debut its first student written and directed play to a full house. Congratulations to all the cast and crew for a successful production.